If I could get some advice on this matter I'm working on, I'd GREATLY appreciate it.

I keep running into dead ends on this one, it's pretty odd, mainly because there's nothing apperently consistent about it, so I have no real leads to follow. This client of ours is on a laptop that goes back and forth between office, home, trips, etc. (he's also a VIP client -- ya know, potentially impatient big shot -- so I'm trying to figure this out as fast as possible). Basically, sometimes he can send email, sometimes he can't, and he can always receive email without any problems. Here's the breakdown:

1) He's using Outlook (I forget exactly which -- 2000 or 2003).
2) POP account. POP3 and SMTP connections are properly configured to the right servers. User/pass info is correct.
3) He can always receive email. The problem only occurs with sending email.
4) Sometimes he can send with no problems, others he is prompted for user authentication, but then the authentication window just appears over and over again instead of allowing him to send the message.
5) He also gets "No transport provider was available for delivery to this recipient." bounce back messages.
6) The problem shows no pattern -- Sometimes he can send mail, sometimes he can't -- happens at various different locations, on both ethernet and wireless. So we can't narrow it down to happening at location A or B, or on wireless or off, as it works sometimes in all scenarios, then doesn't others.
7) His mail provider responded that there is no problem on their end, so it has to be on the user's end.
8) Both POP3 and SMTP go through the same server with the same authentication.

So I'm in a bit of a quandry here. Why does it only authenticate part of the time (I have yet to reproduce the problem when I've been on his machine)? And why will it let him receive mail even though he can't send? This has evidently been going on for a while now, so it's definitely not a problem that's going to resolve itself anytime soon.

Any thoughts?

June 13th, 2006, 05:50 PM

morganlefay

OK...some mail servers do not allow you to send mail....unless you are already authenticated on thier network...

So if the guy is using a different ISP to get on the internet...then try to send mail through the mail servers...that reside at another ISP....it will probably fail....as the mail server will think he is trying to relay???

Another thing....I recently had a site that was having trouble sending mail from an app....where they had someone import the email addresses into the app.....well during the import a ' was added to all the addresses .......hence...all send attempts failed

confirm the address.....

MLF

edit> what is the exact error he recieves when it fails???

June 13th, 2006, 05:59 PM

Black Cluster

Connection type?

In some cases with xDSL and Leased line, you have to use the SMTP server of the ISP server not your mail service's provider .... not sure if this applies to your case ... usually you get a "Relaying Denied 550" message .... try to create a new account ....

June 13th, 2006, 06:00 PM

AngelicKnight

Here ya go:

Quote:

The following recipient(s) could not be reached:

'User Name' on 6/7/2006 9:19 AM
No transport provider was available for delivery to this recipient.

Evidently the user authentication doesn't produce an error, it just pops up repeatedly...he eventually then gets the above bounce back message.

Quote:

So if the guy is using a different ISP to get on the internet...then try to send mail through the mail servers...that reside at another ISP....it will probably fail....as the mail server will think he is trying to relay???

Quote:

In some cases with xDSL and Leased line, you have to use the SMTP server of the ISP server not your mail service's provider .... not sure if this applies to your case ... usually you get a "Relaying Denied 550" message .... try to create a new account ....

I suspected that too, but if that were the case, wouldn't the problem then be consistent? The thing is it does allow email through at other times...

June 13th, 2006, 06:03 PM

zENGER

You might try blowing away his outlook profile and rebuilding it from scratch.

I'm with Morgan though, I would lean towards a bad address, or even just user error.

June 13th, 2006, 06:07 PM

morganlefay

does he have multiple profiles set up....???

confirm the address...make sure you can send to it....it probably just one address hes whinning about ...mainly cause he typed it in wrong. :rolleyes: Trust me...I deal with whinners ALL the time ;)

I always send test messages from my exchange account, my hotmail account..and my sympatico account just to try and see where the failure may be....cause if it fail on a web based account...there is something wrong with the addy

MLF

June 13th, 2006, 06:10 PM

zENGER

The no transport provider error generally has to do with a malformed address, or an address that is destined for a local email server but its not configured correctly, like notes or something.

I would check the message he tried to send and look in the to: and cc:/bc: and see whats in there

June 13th, 2006, 06:11 PM

AngelicKnight

Thanks guys, I'll try those possiblities and scope it out.

June 13th, 2006, 06:14 PM

Black Cluster

And yeah, Layer 8 errors are mostly the main cause of problems, unlike the rest of the 7 layers .. :D

June 13th, 2006, 06:22 PM

morganlefay

Too funny...I was thinking the same thing :p

Quote:

The 7 layer model has often been extended in a humorous manner, to refer to non-technical issues or problems. A common joke is the 10 layer model, with layers 8, 9, and 10 being the "user," "financial," and "political" layers.